The Child Without A Name
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: Why had they bothered naming the infant if she had passed on? OneShot.


**Prolouge**:

Light shone off the small,black casket as various people garbed down in dark red bowed their heads.The fragrance of summer flowers lingered strongly and yet no one seemed to notice.Even a small boy had trouble concentrating on it.

He looked up at his tearing mother,wondering why she weeped when she had not only him but his sister.As usual his father remained emotionless.Somehow, he just couldn't feel sad for this lost life but he did have to wonder something.

Why had they bothered naming the infant if she had passed on?

x.x.x.

She was numb.Numb in body,mind and soul.But how did she get this way?It would've been so much easier if she could remember.Memories of all her family floated around in her head,near and yet so very much out of reach to her touch.Their faces,one loving,one strict and one confused remained there.

Though,she could not place herself with these people.Their relationship aside from the established birthright status was a blank to the girl.And yet she knew who they were and prayed that they cared,hoped that they were proud of her.

_Mom_...The kind woman with the oval-shaped face appeared._Brother_...Her older brother's bright-eyed face then came._Father_...he seemed to look at her.

But not the whole her.

"Azula?"Someone spoke a name distantly.

Layers of heaviness that bound her down seemed to melt off her skin,layers of restraint and of undistinguishable emotions that filled up her throat before they collasped through,allowing fresh air to flow freely through out her entire body.

"Z-"her voice was closer yet still not physical enough."Zuko?Where're you?"

When he didn't answer the images of the ones she loved swept away in one giant,expanding warp.Fear caught her as she felt herself finally surfacing from the depths of her inner imprisonment.In one clensing breath of air she awoke.

The room faded in and out for a moment with the heaviness of her breathing and the rythem of her heart's thumping.Drenching sweat tingled her skin and a cooling breeze wafted on her forehead.She sensed that someone was in nigh.

The girl moved her head carefully to see the half of a young man's face,she couldn't recognize who it was as this stranger was glowering bitterly.His lips were contorted and his hard amber colored eyes at the floor between his feet.

"You came down with a horrible fever a week ago and fell into a coma."The angry-looking teen told her without emotion."Father's on his way over here."

"Oh,"her speech was soft."Father.I remember him...he was always expecting so much out of both of us.Sometimes I wish I could just get away from him."

"Is that so?You always acted like you adored his precious attention."

Hearing the mocking words wedged some guilt into her."I..."she squinted hard at him."You remind me of someone I know.Wait,how'd you know my father?"

He turned to face her swiftly."What do you mean_ how do I know?_"

The girl gasped in shock at his face.Now that he was turned completely she saw that it was her brother,only older and...scarred.Two rings of welted skin circled his eye.She felt a sinking feeling inside of her as tears filmed her eyes.

"Zuko,what happened to you?"her voice was barely a whisper."You're hurt."

His gaze didn't soften."Don't be absurd.It's obvious you delusional.Lay back down and get some rest so that when father comes you'll be thinking clearly."

She nodded and followed his command only impart.Lowering herself down gently on to the edge of the bed,the girl examined the fine tan and blue velvet interior of the room with a pleasant smile.The designer had an excellent taste.

"This sort of reminds me of Mother's painting room,she'd always come up to get away from all the complexites that being a queen came with.Remember?"

Zuko didn't speak but followed her lead at checking out their surroundings.It was the first time she felt she had ever related with her brother,silently agreed on something.Even if it was merely to agree on some random personification.

"You seem different."he observed,connecting with her eyes intently."It's like you've become someone different in the last few days.Are you feeling okay?"

She rubbed at her temple slightly,awkward at him looking at her."I haven't a clue what you mean.I mean,I guess you could say I feel like I'm seeing all the world for the first time but I've known you for so long.You look much older."

Zuko looked at her strangely as if she had lost her mind.This frightened her to the point where she moved back up against the headboard and brought in her knees.What had happened?Where were they?Where were their parents at!?

"How old are you?"Her brother asked her.

"I'm nine."

"Where's our cousin Lu Ten?"

"Dead."

"Where's Mom?"

"I...I guess in the Fire Nation."

"And,who are you?"

She looked directly up at him.That's when it dawned on her that she was not aware she had a name.Maybe it wasn't that she didn't have one,maybe it was only because she had forgotten it in the fever she'd had.What was her name?

"W-who do you know me as?"The girl asked bravely,trying to trick him.

Zuko got up from his chair and she scrambled down onto the floor,her sheets falling over her as she kicked wildly and rolled into another sitting position.A look of raw determination had entered his eyes as he circled around her bed.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't answer as he advanced closer with a stone-faced expression which caused her to stumble back across the floor.Air drifted up the long frilly gown she was wearing and her fingers claws into the carpet as she kept backing up.

"You're afraid of me,aren't you?"he appeared satisfied with her cowering state up in the doorframe."After all of this time I'm finally getting respect from you."

Terror surged in her as fire formed in his hand.Did she Firebend?She couldn't remember.Looking around frantically,she spotted a tall vase and grasped it by the thin center.It grew and she threw the vase at the unscathed part of his face.

"Forgive me!"She cried as she twisted the knob and escaped out into a hall.

The roar of flames behind her was narrowly avoided as she swung around the last pillar in what she now assumed was a castle.In the branch off the girl came face to face with Ty Lee,dressed down in a stylish if not revealing bathing suit.

"Oh my gosh!You're o-"she stopped short when her friend desperately threw herself into her arms."Hey,what's going on Azula?When did you finally wake?"

"Today,I've finally just awakened today."

Zuko was right behind her."Back away from my sister."

She clung on to Ty Lee tighter."Please,don't let me go.Please.I can't go back to life behind closed doors,I can't go back to a life that I've never been a part of."

"Wait,"he moved closer to her."What do you mean by that?"

By now she was in hysterics as she leaned on the other girl for support."Did you not listen to me?It's just what I said.I don't want to not exist anymore,Zuko.I've always been here,I've always been real.But I feel like you see right through me."

There was silence for a moment.

"She only has memories of us up to when our mother left."He told Ty-Lee.

"Azula,"her hands in closed around the girl's face."Get a hold of yourself."

"I...I'm trying.But,it's so weird.I feel like I'm someone else entirely."

"Maybe that's because you did exist at one time but died shortly afterwards."

Both girls turned to state at him.

"Our parents had twins,Azula and Kira.Kira died and Azula was left twinless."

The name brought a stabbing jolt of reality into her.She wasn't this Azula at all.

"This has happened in some cases where twins have died."Zuko continued in a calm voice."The living twin will lasp into a coma at some point where the spirit of the other twin finally starts to break free.Your spirit is binded to our sister's."

The other girl gasped and pulled away from Kira."You've _posessed _Azula?"

"No,no.I would never do that."

"Something had to have triggered this."her brother intervened."Think,Kira.What could have happened to make you surface?What's your reason for being here?"

She looked from one demanding face to the other and rushed past them,trying her hardest to ignore their calls.Everything shifted and swerved around her as it had when she'd first awakened._Don't make me go back,I want to stay here_.

"I'm afraid that is not acceptable."

Kira froze at the top of a flight of stairs,the sun full on her face and her lips open as the words spilled out without her moving them.The kingdom before her was a bleak and hopeless sight.Doors closed and windows boarded;nowhere to go to.

"Why?"she asked in a quiet voice,clenching her fists."Why is it like this?"

"Because the Fire Nation now reigns supreme.Take a good look at it,Sister.It's a pity I didn't allow you live to see this most glorious day.A thousand apologies."

"What!?"

"It was inadvertant,of course.Only one of us could live.I always bragged about the fact that I had sole survived and I suppose that's why Mother resented me."

"Did you make her leave?"

"Perhaps,"her voice taunting."It's too bad you couldn't do anything about it,Kira. But that's all you are and ever have been.You don't think I didn't feel you near?"

"I-"

"You don't think I didn't learn from an early age that my perished look-alike one day could try and take over my body?Damn,how much denser can a spirit get?"

Kira dipped her head,feeling worthless and hollow.

"Your purpose would have been a foil to me anyways.You think too much like a certain formerly exiled prince that I know and could honestly care less about.At this point I'm thinking about just telling Father about how much weaker Zuko is."

"You're **wrong**.Just because were not like you and father doesn't mean that we are _weak_.It doesn't mean that our lives or anyone's lives are any better.I'll fight you,Azula."she shook from the fury of her words."I will fight you for this body!"

The princess chuckled in dark amusement."Then you will lose,Kira."

She grasped her head and was forced to bend down by a horrible throbbing that began in her head.Flashes of memory she recalled for nine years,nice years of all the dream-like innocence she had experienced up until five years ago,dissipated.

As the consciousness of the once nameless girl was drained,there was a gipping on her shoulder.She turned slowly to see the love radiating in Zuko's gold eyes.

"If there was a way..."

Kira touched her brother's hand and rested her cheek on it."I'd stay right here."

Instead of loosing sight of his sister as the spirit swaping commenced,Zuko was able to see her gentle visage lift from Azula's body and her entire glowing figure faded into the air.As Ty Lee went to Azula,he finally knew why she was named.

Every angel he had ever heard of had a name.

The End.

LP


End file.
